Archive for May, 2010
Friday, May 14th, 2010
Chinese international ocean freight carrier Zhejiang Ocean Shipping is the latest Chinese shipping interest to announce plans for a new shipbuilding phase to help drive its future growth in China and the world. Reports from the shipbuilding industry indicate this Chinese freight carrier has been at work setting up the funding and laying the ground work for the building and delivery of 10 new capsizes that will add significantly to the ability of this Chinese shipping company to deliver ocean freight in the future.
At present it has been reported that Zhejiang Ocean Shipping has a fleet of about 15 capesizes and panamaxes working the trade lanes of the world. 10 new capsizes will enhance the ability of this Chinese freight carrier to move dry bulk freight, but these 10 new capsizes most likely won’t be seen in the ports of the world until sometime in 2011 or beyond.
The shipping interests of Zhejiang province have been busy ordering new bulk freight carrier vessels to keep the business of freight moving in China. Last week, another Chinese shipping company doing business in Zhejiang province apparently put in an order for 21 new vessels to transport bulk freight. Does this mean Zhejiang province is preparing to put itself on the front line of China’s desire to lead the Chinese ocean freight carrier industry into the century of the environment? The shipping company in this case, Zosco, has a good reputation in the world of freight shipping and this expansion could be the first move in the international game of chess we call the freight shipping business.
If this is the goal of Zosco the company still has a long road ahead of it trying to spread its propeller-print around the world of freight. The current fleet of Zosco is going to need some help in this goal and the arrival of 21 new freight vessels is going to go a long way in helping Zosco achieve its future goals.
Tags: broker freight, freight carrier, freight moving
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Thursday, May 13th, 2010
The container transport vessels that ply the oceans blue are so large that quick alterations of course and direction is difficult to achieve, if not impossible in most circumstances. This fact was probably in the minds of the pilots of the container transport vessels the CMA CGM Verlaine and Odessa Star the other day, once the pilots that were apparently on board at the time realised the two ships were going to collide in the reportedly poor conditions that existed on the waters at the time.
This collision certainly highlights the energy that’s involved in even the smallest collisions between containerships as the incident apparently resulted in the CMA CGM Verlaine rupturing its ballast tanks and six cargo holds. Hopefully any insurance the owners of the vessels have will cover the cost of the repairs to the ships, so the fact that there were no reported injuries to crew or environment during the accident is the best part of this news. This incident does highlight the possibility of accidents on the busy ocean transport lanes of the world’s waterways and maybe the need for some traffic control system enhancements in the future to help prevent similar accidents between container transports or any freight carrying vessels traveling the oceans of the world.
There will certainly be sceptics who will scoff at the idea of traffic control systems for the busy waterways of the world, but in a sense on many waterways of the world we already have traffic control systems in place. Unfortunately, history has shown that humankind will often put safety issues such as this one on a backburner of a sort, until such time as there is significant loss of life to warrant the issues be looked at. Hopefully, this isn’t the case in this affair and no tragedy will have to occur before we see safety systems put in place to help reduce the possibility of similar accidents occurring in the future.
Tags: freight, freight shipping, freight transport
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Wednesday, May 12th, 2010
Did you know that international ocean freight carriers from over 40 different countries currently export iron ore to China? In fact, China imports so much iron ore that it has allowed Chinese steel players to negotiate a binding long-term industry wide price agreement, instead of independent contracts with individual steel mills. The number of ocean freight carriers bringing iron ore to China is expected to increase in the future as well according to many industry sources in China and the world. Iron ore from the Indian sub-continent has been the flavour in favour with the Chinese steel mills of late, but this could change in the blink of an eye, since China has negotiated so many agreements for iron ore around the world and would certainly do so again.
There have been clouds of change on the horizon in this affair as significant pressure has been brought to bear against the Chinese to make changes to the current set up. China does need to be wary of burning bridges in this affair and burning bridges really isn’t the Chinese way. The Chinese appear to be more the limp-in kind of player who thinks he can out play you after the flop, the manipulator of emotions who is always seemingly in control of his emotions on the outside. In fact, the Chinese negotiators have apparently been at work spreading a net on the waters to see who they can ensnare and get involved in the debate occurring that’s starting to get louder according to many sources.
At present, the Chinese demand for iron ore is probably too great considering the present growth in China for the Chinese to not listen to the debate and probably make some changes. China also needs the iron ore as much as or maybe more than countries need to find buyers for their iron ore and this is certainly going to make them at least listen to the comments surrounding this affair. In addition, it will take time for ocean freight carriers to get up to speed with their movements of iron ore to China and in the meantime China still needs freight carriers to constantly bring in daily loads of iron ore for business to continue.
Tags: container transport, freight transport, shipping freight
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Tuesday, May 11th, 2010
Container transport vessels have been taking containers full of various types freight to international destinations in one form or another has been a traditional way of exporting goods for thousands of years. The containers have changed from the days of the early sea traders, but the concept is pretty much the same as the days of the first Mediterranean shipping companies. Pure containerships are a vessel type that has recently been thought of in the same terms that many scientists today talk about the polar bear or coral reefs of the world. A type of pure transport vessel that might have seen its last days on Earth, but it appears that we might have been wrong about the extinction of the pure containership?
In fact, only the second order of pure containerships since the beginning of the financial rough seas the ocean freight shipping industry has been riding out for the past 18 months or so was ordered by Chinese shipping company Sinotrans, recently. Does this mean that the container transport industry is about to get a boost in business somewhere on planet Earth? This is only a single order for pure containerships and it could be a test run to see if pure containerships can still compete against more versatile types of freight carrying vessels that have been on the oceans for awhile.
The lull in new pure container transport vessel construction doesn’t have to be all bad for shipyards that have traditionally made this type of freight vessel. The lack of orders will have given them time to start work on new environmentally friendly containership designs to help reduce the propeller-print of the ocean freight carrier industry as it tries to navigate the treacherous reefs surrounding the sea lanes into the century of the environment.
If the timing of pure containership builders is spot-on, we might even see pure containerships of some type emerge on the other side of the reefs in forms and shapes that will amaze and astound us?
Tags: container transport, shipping freight, Trucking transport
Posted in Freight Industry News | 11 Comments »
Monday, May 10th, 2010
Trailer trucking services between the European cities of Gedser in Denmark and Rostock in Germany will be getting a little help reducing the number of road miles they need to travel while trucking freight between these two historic cities. Ferry operator Scandlines is preparing to increase services on this route with two new ferries that can carry up to 90 trucking transports each between these two cities at a time. The new ferries are supposedly being constructed in Volkswerft Stralsund in Germany for an undisclosed amount of money.
These new ferries are slated to replace the Kronprins Frederik and Prins Joachim on this route. Scandlines might be trying to set up a service to compete against the Fehmarn Belt Bridge, which will connect the island of Fehmarn with Copenhagen and other regions, once it’s completed. If this is their goal Scandlines will have to get to work turning this trucking transport service into a traffic machine. This new service should be reasonably popular though, since it will allow trucking services to reduce the number of road miles travelled and it’s possible the costs involved for trucking firms using this service could be reduced.
The new ferries being built in Germany for Scandlines are going to be around 170-metres in length and will have over 1500 metres of lanes of capacity for trucks. They’re also going to be designed and built with the latest innovations for enhancing fuel economy and reducing carbon emissions. Exact specifics on the fuel economy and carbon emissions ratings of these new vessels were not available at this time.
Tags: freight, freight shipping, Trucking transport
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Thursday, May 6th, 2010
Chinese freight shipping companies are apparently preparing to ship freight in greater amounts in the future as lately new ship orders from shipping interests in China have been going strong. Taiwanese shipping interest Taiwan’s Today Makes Tomorrow (TMT) has also been busy putting in new orders for kamsarmax bulkers that are apparently being built in Korea. Sources in the freight shipping industry indicate that TMT could be just getting started on ordering new ships and they have even been reported as looking at additional orders for handysize and kamsarmax vessels.
It has been hard to obtain any concrete information on TMT, since it’s a private firm that likes to keep things close to the corporate vest. The inability of shipping industry experts to obtain information on TMT appears to have created a cloud of doubt around TMT and its current plans. This doubt appeals to have resulted in some freight carrier professionals raising concerns about the financial status of TMT. TMT has been busy ordering lots of new vessels t drive its future growth and the doubt appears to be around the source of financing the company is sourcing to purchase this new round of vessels.
TMT has been going forward with its plans at a feverish rate, ordering new vessels from shipyards around the world in the past year or so. TMT appears to be convinced it will need new vessels to move the volume of ship freight its customers will have for it to transport in the future. Hopefully, TMT is right about the future and they see an increase in the demand for shipping services in the weeks and months ahead of the freight shipping industry.
Tags: moving freight, shipping freight
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Thursday, May 6th, 2010
There are apparently cloudy and uncertain skies ahead for American air freight carriers United Airlines and Continental Airlines as these two international air freight carriers have apparently been talking for a few months about merging business operations. It must indeed be uncertain times for many at these two airlines as they continue to talk about trying to improve the future of both firms by merging operations. Will it mean job losses if the two firms merge? What will be the ultimate meaning be for the air freight business of America, Europe and the world? These questions are probably running through the minds of many air freight industry professionals that have been watching this situation unfold?
These two American air freight carriers aren’t the only two firms involved in the merger talks apparently, as it has also been reported that US Airways has joined the discussion at points. Does this mean that there’s a possibility of a three way merger between United Airlines, Continental Airlines and US Airways? There appears to be a belief in minds of some freight industry professionals that such a merger might actually be the strongest partnership that could come out of the talks. The truth of this is up for debate for sure, but there could certainly be a few facts that would support such a belief. The possibility at this time does seem remote, but you never know what might happen in a situation like this and we should probably expect the unexpected?
There have been rumours circulating that the board of directors of United’s parent company, UAL, is expected to hold a private meeting sometime in the next few days to discuss this subject. There have even been suggestions that the talks could be designed to spark interest from companies on the European continent about doing business.
Tags: freight, freight forwarders, freight moving
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Tuesday, May 4th, 2010
The problems in the French freight carrier industry have been in the headlines a lot lately and today it was reported that four stevedoring companies operating in the Port of Le Havre were fined by the French regulatory agency for what they deem as unfair competition tactics in their business operations at the port. Apparently, the agency thinks the groups involved have been meeting to agree on some aspects of business that could give the firms involved a significant business advantage in the Port of Le Havre.
The truth of this affair could likely be told in the weeks and days ahead and it could be trying times for the four stevedoring companies involved and the French freight carrier industry. There could always be additional business consequences involved for these companies and at the very least they’re going to be under the microscope for awhile. Exactly, what the additional business consequences could be we’ll probably hear about in the months ahead and we can be sure the French regulatory agencies will be watching every move the companies involved in this affair make in their future business affairs in the Port of Le Havre and probably anywhere they do business in France.
The fines applied this time appear to be more symbolic than substantial and it could be the French agency just wants to send a strong message to the four companies involved and others in the French freight carrier industry that this kind of stuff will not be tolerated? The French agency stopped short of applying some fines to parties that some think were involved in this affair, so maybe some sanity is starting to appear in this affair and we’ll see business in the Port of Le Havre return to normal.
http://www.ifw-net.com/freightpubs/ifw/ind…tm_medium=email
Tags: freight, freight carrier, freight forwarders, freight moving, freight shipping, freight transport, heavy haul, moving freight, shipping freight, trucking companies, trucking services, Trucking transport
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Tuesday, May 4th, 2010
Trailer trucking firms looking at the Unified Carrier Registration fees they’ll have to pay in the calendar year under the new proposals are probably wondering how this is going to affect them during a time when they’re already hauling a tough financial road? Reports by many carriers indicates that they’ll be paying as much as double the fees they paid in previous calendar years and many think this additional cost could create new problems for many of America’s and North America’s trucking transport firms. Especially, for large trucking services firms this could mean some major changes in the financial landscape and future of the company, and this of course is making some trucking professionals doubt the wisdom of the increases at this time in the trucking industries history.
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has indicated in statements that it was forced to increase the United Carrier Registration fee at this time in order to provide states with the money they’re expecting under the Single State Registration System. This statement must provide little comfort to the trucking firms that will have to pay the increased fees, since in the end they’ll have little choice but to pay, if they want to continue to conduct business. At least the fees are less than the original numbers the FMCSA was throwing at trucking firms in the start of this affair, which for some trucking firms must be a positive sign. They can still expect a rather large bill in the days ahead from the FMCSA and this is probably going to stick in their throat for a few days.
http://www.todaystrucking.com/news.cfm?intDocID=23849
Tags: freight, freight forwarders, freight moving, freight shipping, freight transport, heavy haul, moving freight, shipping freight, trailer trucking, trucking companies, trucking services, Trucking transport
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Monday, May 3rd, 2010
Is it time for shipping companies to begin ordering new container transport vessels? There appears to be a cut-throat competition going on between shipyards competing for the latest round of new containership orders that might be an opportunity for some shipping companies to save a bit of money? The competition appears to be getting a little hotter lately as there have been reports of investigations into competition complaints.
One particular complaint centers on moves by one Greek shipping interest to raise the money it needs for new vessels by using European taxpayers money to pay for the vessels. The intensity of this dispute appears to be rising at the moment and this situation could become pretty heated in the days and weeks ahead. This affair appears to be a political hot potato at the moment in European circles, so we can probably expect some tippy-toeing to be going on around the events concerning this company. The investigation appears to be going full steam ahead though and we can certainly expect to hear something on this front in a few days.
We should probably expect more shipbuilding yards to join the competition for new container transport ships being built around the world. The volume of new ships being ordered has increased recently according to many in the freight carrier industry and a feeding frenzy of a type could begin shortly. What all this means for the world’s freight shipping industry is the question? Will the volume of containers that needs to be transported go up and is the business of shipping containers going to return to levels of old in 2010?
http://www.tradewinds.no/archive/;jsession…1+ship+purchase
Tags: container transport, freight, freight carrier, freight forwarders, freight moving, freight shipping, freight transport, heavy haul, moving freight, shipping freight, trucking companies, trucking services, Trucking transport
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